After sweeping the Seattle Mariners and taking two out of three from the Washington Nationals a few weeks ago, things began to look bleak for the Philadelphia Phillies when they were swept by the New York Mets at Citi Field. The Phillies were playing winning baseball at the time, but ran into their kryptonite in Queens.
Since being swept by the Mets, the Phillies have won seven of the last 10 games and three consecutive series, including a series win over the MLB-leading Milwaukee Brewers. The Mets, on the other hand, have lost six of the last 10 games since outscoring the Phillies 25-8 in the three-game series sweep.
Phillies Magic Number: PHI can create distance from Mets in division race in huge NL East showdown
The Mets may have gotten the last laugh at Citi Field, but the Phillies are preparing to take care of business this time around at Citizens Bank Park. The NL East rivals begin a four-game series on Monday night with the Phillies holding a seven-game lead in the division.
The Phillies have played significantly better at home this season, owning a 45-23 record at Citizens Bank Park compared to a 38-37 record on the road. The Mets are 31-40 on the road this year and lost two out of three to the Phillies in their home ballpark in June.
The NL East race was tighter a few weeks ago. With the Phillies playing better baseball as of late and the Mets struggling to find consistency, the Phillies’ lead has grown. Notably, the Mets enter this set having lost the final two games of their series against the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend ahead of the divisional clash with the Phillies.
Thanks to that malfeasance in CIncy, the Phillies’ magic number to clinch the NL East is 13 over the Mets entering this week's series. Additionally, the Phillies’ magic number to clinch a playoff spot is down to nine.
Even though the Phillies control their own destiny, the divisional race can heat up in the blink of an eye. The Phillies must avoid another series loss to the Mets -or a catastrophic sweep - to keep a sizable lead over their rival.
The Reds did the Phillies a favor, and now it’s time to take advantage of it and run away with the division by burying the Mets. This four-game series is the biggest of the year for both teams and should be treated like the playoffs.